SCCI, Pakistan Railways agree to finalize modalities of proposed transit trade operation

• The agreement came in a meeting on transit trade, chaired by Director Transit Trade, Faiz Ali at Directorate of Transit Trade Custom House Peshawar here on Tuesday.
• The meeting aims at to discuss operational issues regarding Pak-Afghan Transit trade through Pakistan Railways.

PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and officials of Pakistan Railways (PR) have agreed to finalize modalities of the proposed transit trade operation through railways to further strengthen Pak-Afghan transit trade as well as mutual trade between the two countries.

The agreement came in a meeting on transit trade, chaired by Director Transit Trade, Faiz Ali at Directorate of Transit Trade Custom House Peshawar here on Tuesday.

The meeting aims at to discuss operational issues regarding Pak-Afghan Transit trade through Pakistan Railways.

SCCI president Faiz Mohammad Faizi, Chairman SCCI standing committee on Railway and Dry-port, Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, Divisional Superintendent Pakistan Railways Peshawar, M Nasir Khalili, Divisional Transport Officer, Anwar Sadab, ATO/ACO PR Saba Jabain, Additional Director Transit Trade, Syed Faisal Bokhari, Additional Director Transit Trade Jan Bahadur, Assistant Director M Zahid, Inspector Transit for Torkham, Mehmoodul Hassan, members of the liaison committee transit Farooq Ahmad were present in the meeting.

The meeting held threadbare discussion over the proposed transit trade operation through Pakistan Railways from Karachi to Peshawar and onward dispatch to Torkham for cross-border.

During the meeting, Pakistan Railways officers assured that modalities of the proposed transit trade operation would be finalized by October 15, 2019, after holding a meeting with SCCI representatives and other relevant stakeholders to be held in Divisional Headquarter Pakistan Railways Peshawar on October 07th 2019.

Earlier, President of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Faiz Muhammad Faizi and Chairman SCCI standing committee on PR and Dry-port Ziaul Haq Sarhadi stressed the need for enhancing Pak-Afghan transit trade as well as mutual trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

They urged the government to take such measures which will provide cheap, secured and trustful goods transportation facility.

Mr Faizi demanded the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA) should be reviewed and amendment brought in the agreement to make it further business-friendly and beneficial for business community of the both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

SCCI representatives also urged the government and FBR to amend SRO 121 (1) allowing open transportation of goods along with containers that will abolish detention charges and exporters/importers will get facilities.

Sarhadi thanked the Divisional Superintendent Pakistan Railways Nasir Khalili and other officials for retrieving the PR lands from land grabbers mafia, and launch of trains’ service from Kohat to Rawalpindi and Peshawar to Dargai.

He suggested the re-launch of cargo train from Karachi to Peshawar and Goods in Transit to Afghanistan (GITTA) in order to revive transit route that was shifted to Bandar Abbas and Chahabar ports.

He demanded the government to review the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement and devise it with proper consultation with members of business community.